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ENTRANCE HEAD 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed OGL. 12,` 1964 ,L HT,

u 22 w67 N. H. RUDOLPH ETAL 3,337,689

ENTRANCE HEAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed OCL. 12, 1964 frz van 2071 Af@ fafa@ apache/ e d/Z j?. a @am d te??? United States Patent O 3,337,689 ENTRANCE HEAD Nathan H. Rudolph, Dale Rodger Deming, and Terry J. Hurtt, Kane, Ill., assignors to All-Steel Equipment Inc., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 403,121 Claims. (Cl. 174-80) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a service entrance head for mounting on one end of electric wire conduiting, and includes a base or frame provided with a socket portion that receives the end of the conduiting and a forwardly disposed insulator supporting portion that receives a conventional insulator, a cover or hood that closes the head, and a clamping strap for clamping the head tbody or frame to t-he conduiting. The frame insulator support portion is in the form of a pair of arcuate arms that define a semi-circular shoulder on which the insulator is mounted, with the arms at their tips being formed with opposed protuberances that are proportioned to make a snap fitting engagement with the insulator when it is applied to the shoulder. The head cover or hood is hinged to the frame for swinging movement between open and closed positions, and the cover and frame include cooperating lugs to hold the insulator in place when the cover is closed, with the cover being held in its closed position by a friction type catch.

The clamping strap is pivotally connected at one end thereof to a lug at one side of the frame while the other end of the strap and an opposing lug of the frame carry a screw for clamping the strap against the conduit. Thus, the entrance head requires only one screwing operation to mount it in position. A filler element may be associated with the frame for adapting the head for the application to e.m.t.

Our invention relates to a service entrance head for receiving and leading outside service wires to and into vertically and horizontally disposed conduits that are customarily mounted against the outside wall of a building.

Devices of this type customarily include a frame or body that defines insulator supporting arms and an annular socket which is received over the upper end of the rigid conduit, a clamping strap arrangement for clamping the frame or body to the conduit, and a hood or cover that is received over the insulator.

These devices heretofore have been troublesome to install as several loose parts have been involved with several screwing actions or the like operations to be performed, and one usually must do the assembly job at the top of a ladder.

A principal object of our invention is to provide an entrance head in which not only may all the parts thereof be supplied connected together, or be preassembled that way before mounting the ladder, but also only a single screwing operation is required to secure the head in place on top of the conduit.

Another principal object of our invention is to provide a simplified self-acting catch device for latching the hood or cover in its closed position with provision being made to effect ready opening of the hood or cover with the blade of a screw driver.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a simplified clamping strap arrangement for devices of this type.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an entrance head that is economical of manufacture, convenient in use, and is readily adapted to all functions to which entrance heads are normally applied.

Other objects, uses and advantages will be obvious or become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an entrance head embodying our invention, taken from the rear thereof and showing t-he head hood or cover in its open position and the insulator member displaced from its usual mounted position;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view of the entrance head body or frame shown in FIGURE 1, with the insulator member shown in its usual mounted position;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the entrance head assembly, showing a portion of the conduit end on which it is attached;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the entrance head assembly, showing the conduit in section;

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view substantially along line 5 5 of FIGURE 4, showing in phantom an electric wire applied thereto;

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view substantially along line 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 6A is a fragmental cross-sectional view substantially along line 6A-6A of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 7 is a view of the head insulator support arms substantially along line 77 of FIGURE 6.

However, it is to be distinctly understood that the speciiic drawing illustrations provided are supplied primarily to comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112, and that the invention is susceptible of other embodiments.

Reference numeral 10 indicates the improved entrance head arrangement in its entirety, and entrance head 10 generally comprises a base or frame 12 provided with a socket portion 14 that receives the upper end of a conduit 16 which may be conventional rigid conduiting, or e.m.t. (electrical metallic tubing) when accompanied by the filler element (that is later described), and a forwardly disposed insulator supporting portion 18 adapted to receive a conventional round insulator 20, a cover or hood 22, and a clamping member or strap 24 for clamping the body or frame 12 to the conduit.

The socket defining portion 14 is generally annular in configuration, :and as indicated in FIGURE 5, it is provided with a flat or substantially planar top wall 26 defining a rounded access opening 28 through which the wires are passed into the interior of the conduit 16 (see FIGURE 5). The wall 26 defines an annular, downwardly directed abutment 30 that may serve as a stop against which the upper end of the conduit 16 may seat.

The frame or body 12 at its rear side is formed lto define a depending skirt portion 32 which is shaped to have its inner surface 34 in concentric relation to the central axis of lopening 28. At the ends of the skirt portion 32, laterally or sidewise extending ears or lugs 36 and 37 are formed to which the ends of the clamping member or strap 24 are attached in the manner about to be described.

Skirt portion 32 may be provided with a strengthening rib 38 if so desired.

The frame or base 12 also includes at its forward or front side the insulator support portion 18 which is in the form of a forward extension of top wall 26 that defines along the front edge thereof a pair of upstanding coplanar arms 40 that are formed on the yupper surfaces thereof to provide Ian arcuate upwardly facing shoulder 42 that extends in a circular configuration between the tips 44 of the arms 40 and defines a circular ledge portion 46.

The arms 40 lie in a plane that is inclined with respect to the plane of top wall 26 substantially at the angle indicated in FIGURES 3 and 5, and the arms receive between them the conventional insulator member 20, which as indicated in the drawings comprises a round o u element 49 formed from a suitable insulating material to define a cylindrical side wall or sleeve portion 48 terminating in an annular flange 50 that cooperates with the shoulder 42 to support the insulator on the entrance head frame or base 12.

In accordance with this invention, the arms 40 are made sufficiently long so that they extend beyond a semicircular configuration from tip to tip about the surface 47 defined by ledge portion 46, and opposed protuberances 52 are provided which extend inwardly and towards each other and within the outline of the circular configuration that is defined by the surface 47.

Top wall '26 is provided with an upstanding abutment 54 that cooperates with insulator 20 to prevent dislodgement of the insulator from its seat 42.

Protuberances 52 should be sufhciently prominent that where the insulator member 20 has one edge thereof rested on shoulder 42 adjacent abutment 54, the rounded edge 55 of member 20 binds against protuberances 52 to the extent that insulator 20 must be rrnly pressed against protuberances 52 to snap it by them into full engagement with shoulder 42.

The function of the protuberances 52 is thus to provide a snap t type binding action betwen the insulator and the arms 40 when the insulator is applied to the frame or body 12. The cover or hood is proportioned to be received over and complementarily fit the frame or body 12 and, as is conventional, is provided with outwardly Haring indentations 60 to accommodate arms 40 and abutments 62 to hold the insulator member 20 in place when the cover is in the closed position of FIGURES 3 and 5.

The clamping strap member 24 generally comprises a rounded portion 66 that substantially conforms to the curvature of the socket portion 14, and which curved portion 66 merges at its ends into the respective lugs or ears 68 and 69.

As indicated in FIGURES 1 and 4, the ear 36 of the skirt portion 32 is formed with an opening 70 which receives a reduced portion 72 of the clamping strap or member 24 to dispose the ear or lug 68 adjacent and in abutting relation with the rear 74 of the ear or lug 36. Opening 70 is generally quadrilaterally shaped to conform to the corresponding section of the strap 24.

At the other ear 37 of skirt portion 32, the ear or lug 69 receives a screw 80 that is screw-threadedly mounted in the skirt portion lug 37 for drawing the clamping member 24 into binding relation with the conduit 16.

The hood or cover 22 is provided with a lug 82 that is formed with an appropriae opening 84 for reception over the screw 80 to pivotally connect the cover or -hood 22 to the head frame or body 12 for swinging movement from the open position of FIGURE 1 to the closed position of FIGURES 3-6. As indicated in FIGURES 3 and 6, the cover or hood 22 in its closed position rests on top surfaces 86 of the head frame or body lugs 36 and 37.

As indicated in FIGURES l, 3 and 4, the outer surface of the head frame or body 12 adjacent the lug 36 is recessed as at 90 to provide a locking ledge or abutment 92 at the portion of the upper outer periphery of the socket portion 14 which is adjacent the lug 86. Cooperating with this ledge or abutment 92 is a ridge 94 formed on the inside surface 95 of the hood or cover 22, which ridge 94 is interrupted as at 96 to provide a locking indentation for the ledge or abutment 92. Ledge or abutment 92 may be slightly indented as indicated in FIGURE 6 to provide for a smooth snap action locking function.

The proportioning of the ledge or abutment 92 and the ridge 94 and its interruption 96 should be substantially as indicated in FIGURE r6, such that as the cover or hood 22 is swung from the position of FIGURE 1 to the position of FIGURE 6, the lower segment 98 of the ridge 94 frictionally engages the edge 100 of the ledge or abutment 92 and slides by same to dispose the ledge or abutment 92 within the interruption 96 substantially as indicated in FIGURE 6.

The pro-portioning of parts should also be such as to permit the vcover or hood 22 to be unlatched by moderate hand pressure operating against the cover 22 to swing it from theposition of FIGURE 6 to the position of FIGURE 1. To facilitate opening, the indentation 60 of hood 22 on its side bearing ridge 94 is indented suiiciently as at 103 to receive screw driver blades for quickly prying the hood free from latching engagement with body 12.

Associated with the illustrated entrance head is a filler element 110, which is positioned between the skirt portion 32 of the frame or body 12 and the conduit 16.

The filler element comprises a strip member 112 having an arcuate mid portion 114 that is in substantial concentric relation to the axis of the socket portion 14; also included as part of the strip member 112 is a lug portion 116 and 118 at either end thereof, with the respective lug portions extending oppositely of each other and sidewisc of the entrance head.

The lug 116 of the filler element 112 is formed with a quadrilaterally shaped indentation or notch 118 to receive the reduced portion 92 of the clamping member or strap 24, while the lug 118 is formed With a U-shaped notch 120 to receive the screw 80.

The iiller element 110 serves to enable the head 10 to accommodate the aforementioned e.m.t., shown in the drawings as smaller diameter conduiting 16. Filler element 110 is not required for conventional rigid conduiting.

It will thus be seen that the head 10 not only provides an entrance head arrangement in which all of the parts are secured in place, but this is accomplished with only one screw adjusting element, which means that the installer need only be concerned with making one screw threading operation during his installing procedures. The Ifriction catch device 91 requires no adjustment to latch or unlatch the cover or hood 22, as distinguished from conventional latch devices which employ a screw element carried by the cover or hood that is intended to be turned into a recess formed in the head frame or body for purposes of latching the head cover or hood in its closed position over the body or frame 12.

It will also be noted that the 4use of the particular inter-locking arrangement between the clamping strap 24 and lug 36 eliminates a second screw in this area with the consequent reduction of manipulative procedures required by the installer.

The foregoing description and the drawings are given merely to explain and illustrate our invention and the invention is not to be limited thereto, except insofar Ias the appended claims are so limited, since those skilled in the art who have our disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A service entrance head for mounting on one end of electric conduiting, said head comprising:

a frame,

said frame comprising:

an annular open ended socket defining portion adapted to receive the conduiting and having front and rear sides,

a skirt portion depending from said socket portion at the rear side of said socket portion and having its inner surface in concentric relation to the central axis of sai-d socket portion,

said skirt portion being formed with oppositely extending lugs disposed on either side of said socket portion and projecting sidewise of said socket portion,

one of said lugs being formed with an opening extending from the forward side thereof to the rearward side thereof,

a bifurc-ated insulator supporting portion disposed along the forward side of said socket defining portion,

said insulator supporting portion comprising a pair of coplanar arms extending upwardly and forwardly of said socket portion and formed on the upper surfaces thereof to define an upwardly facing and rearwardly facing arcuate shoulder that has a substantially circular configuration.

a rounded insulator member including an annular flange portion proportioned to rest on said shoulder Iand a cylindrical sleeve portion projecting from said flange portion and proportioned to be freely received within said shoulder circular configuration and having a rounded edge at the projecting end thereof,

said shoulder at the upper ends of said arms extending `beyond a semicircular configuration and at the tips of said 'arms being provided with opposed protuberance means projecting within the outline of said shoulder circular configuration for snap fitting engagement with said insulator member sleeve portion,

and an upstanding abutment adjacent the lowest portion of said shoulder and between said shoulder portion land said socket portion for holding the insulator member in position when the insulator member is received on said shoulder,

said arm protuberance means Ibeing proportioned such that when said insulator member ange portion is placed on said shoulder adjacent said abutment with said sleeve portion thereof directed toward said arms, said edge of said insulator member sleeve portion engages in snap fitting relation with said protuberance means, whereby said insulator member sleeve portion may be locked within said arms by placing said flange portion thereof on said shoulder adjacent said abutment, and pressing said sleeve portion thereof past said arm protuberance means to bring said insulator member flange portion into full engagement with said shoulder,

and an arcuate clamping member mounted on said skirt portion below the forward side of said socket portion and forwardly of said skirt portion,

said clamping member including:

a rounded portion that substantially conforms to the curvature of said socket portion transversely thereof,

and `a lug at each end with said lugs projecting sidewise of said socket portion,

and with one of said lugs of said clamping member disposed in juxtaposition with the rearward side of said one skirt portion lug,

said clamping member extending through said one skirt portion lug opening,

means for screwthreadedly connecting said other lug of said clamping member to the other lug of said skirt portion,

and a cap removably mounted on said frame over said socket portion.

2. The entrance head set forth in claim 1 including a ller element positioned between said skirt portion and said clamping member,

said filler element comprising:

a strip member having an arcuate mid portion in substantial concentric relation to said axis of said socket portion,

said strip member defining a lug portion at each end thereof,

with the respective lug portions being positioned between the lugs of said skirt portion and said clamping member on either side of said socket portion,

and with the lug portion of said strip member that is adjacent said one -lug of said skirt portion being bifurcated to receive said clamping member.

3. In entrance heads of the type set forth in claim 1 in which the cap is pivotally connected to the head for swinging movement with respect to said head about the axis of said connecting means, the further improvement to the arrangement defined by claim 1 wherein:

the lower portion of said cap complementarily engages over said socket portion, said socket portion and said cap adjacent said one skirt portion lug including friction catch means for releasably holding said cap over said socket portion,

said friction catch means comprising .a rib within said cap extending from the lower portion thereof upwardly toward the roof thereof,

said rib being formed with an interruption adjacent to but spaced above said lower portion,

with the outer side wall of said socket portion being formed to define a recess into which the lower portion of said rib is adapted to lodge when said cap is moved to its closed position over said -socket portion.

4. In an entrance head of the type including a socket portion having 4a depending rear skirt portion, provided with laterally extending ears, a clamping member having either end thereof secured to said respective skirt portion ears, and a hood pivotally mounted on said socket portion for swinging movement between open and closed positions, the improvement wherein:

one end of said clamping member is pivotally connected to one of said skirt portion ears,

with the other end of said clamping member being connected to the other of said skirt portion ears by screw means,

and friction catch means cooperating between said hood and said socket portion for releasably holding said hood in its closed position,

with the lower portion of said hood complementarily engaging over said socket portion,

said friction catch means comprising a rib within said hood extending from the lower portion thereof upwardly toward the roof thereof,

said rib being formed with an interruption adjacent to but spaced above said hood lower portion,

with the outer side wall of said socket portion being formed to define a recess into which the :lower portion of said lrib is adapted to lodge when said hood is moved to its closed position over said socket portion.

5. The improvement set forth in claim 4 wherein:

said hood is formed to receive Aa screw driver blade for prying said hood free from said socket portion to separate said catch means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,148,059 2/1939 Dann 174-81 2,86`57981 12/1958 Budrlick 174-81 2,926,212 2/1960 Appleton 174-81 j 2,993,084 7/1960 Curtiss 174-81 3,003,019 10/1961 Dearle 174-81 3,132,402 5/1964 Joseph 24--284 FOREIGN PATENTS 346,266 6/ 1960 SWitZerland.

LEWIS H. MYERS, Primary Examiner. H, HUBERFELD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SERVICE ENTRANCE HEAD FOR MOUNTING ON ONE END OF ELECTRIC CONDUITING, SAID HEAD COMPRISING: A FRAME, SAID FRAME COMPRISING: AN ANNULAR OPEN ENDED SOCKET DEFINING PORTION ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE CONDUITING AND HAVING FRONT AND REAR SIDES, A SKIRT PORTION DEPENDING FROM SAID SOCKET PORTION AT THE REAR SIDE OF SAID SOCKET PORTION AND HAVING ITS INNER SURFACE IN CONCENTRIC RELATION TO THE CENTRAL AXIS OF SAID SOCKET PORTION, SAID SKIRT PORTION BEING FORMED WITH OPPOSITELY EXTENDING LUGS DISPOSED ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID SOCKET PORTION AND PROJECTING SIDEWISE OF SAID SOCKET PORTION, ONE OF SAID LUGS BEING FORMED WITH AN OPENING EXTENDING FROM THE FORWARD SIDE THEREOF TO TEH REARWARD SIDE THEREOF, A BIFURCATED INSULATOR SUPPORTING PORTION DISPOSED ALONG THE FORWARD SIDE OF SAID SOCKET DEFINING PORTION, SAID INSULATOR SUPPORTING PORTION COMPRISING A PAIR OF COPLANAR ARMS EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND FORWARDLY OF SAID SOCKET PORTION AND FORMED ON THE UPPER SURFACES THEREOF OF DEFINE AN UPWARDLY FACING AND REARWARDLY FACING ARCUATE SHOULDER THAT HAS A SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR CONFIGURATION. A ROUNDED INSULATOR MEMBER INCLUDING AN ANNULAR FLANGE PORTION PROPORTIONED TO REST ON SAID SHOULDER AND A CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE PORTION PROJECTING FROM SAID FLANGE PORTION AND PROPORTIONED TO BE FREELY RECEIVED WITHIN SAID SHOULDER CIRCULAR CONFIGURATION AND HAVING A ROUNDED EDGE AT THE PROJECTING END THEREOF, SAID SHOULDER AT THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID ARMS EXTENDING BEYOND A SEMICIRCULAR CONFIGURATION AND AT THE TIPS OF SAID ARMS BEING PROVIDED WITH OPPOSED PROTUBERANCE MEANS PROJECTING WITHIN THE OUTLINE OF SAID SHOULDER CIRCULAR CONFIGURATION FOR SNAP FITTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID INSULATOR MEMBER SLEEVE PORTION, AND AN UPSTANDING ABUTMENT ADJACENT THE LOWEST PORTION OF SAID SHOULDER AND BETWEEN SAID SHOULDER PORTION AND SAID SOCKET PORTION FOR HOLDING THE INSULATOR MEMBER IN POSITION WHEN THE INSULATOR MEMBER IS RECEIVED ON SAID SHOULDER, SAID ARM PROTUBERANCE MEANS BEING PROPORTIONED SUCH THAT WHEN SAID INSULATOR MEMBER FLANGE PORTION IS PLACED ON SAID SHOULDER ADJACENT SAID ABUTMENT WITH SAID SLEEVE PORTION THEREOF DIRECTED TOWARD SAID ARMS, SAID EDGE OF SAID INSULATOR MEMBER SLEEVE PORTION ENGAGES IN SNAP FITTING RELATION WITH SAID PROTUBERANCE MEANS, WHEREBY SAID INSULATOR MEMBER SLEEVE PORTION MAY BE LOCKED WITHIN SAID ARMS BY PLACING SAID FLANGE PORTION THEREOF ON SAID SHOULDER ADJACENT SAID ABUTMENT, AND PRESSING SAID SLEEVE PORTION THEREOF PAST SAID ARM PROTUBERANCE MEANS TO BRING SAID INSULATOR MEMBER FLANGE PORTON INTO FULL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SHOULDER, AND AN ARCUATE CLAMPING MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID SKIRT PORTION BELOW THE FORWARD SIDE OF SAID SOCKET PORTION AND FORWARDLY OF SAID SKIRT PORTION. 